The very first brewing was largely a matter of chance. A tablet discovered in Uruk (Mesopotamia, now southern Iraq) establishes the discovery and recipe for beer at 6000 BC.
The first beer to be made by the Sumerians can therefore be dated to this period. They made the unintentional discovery that dry bread (containing barley) soaked in water could then dissolve and turn into beer. They thus invented fermentation with natural yeasts, unintentionally.
Following this discovery, they went on to produce their beers!This unintentional "invention" is perfectly symbolised by the Akkadian name of this drink.This oriental language, spoken in Mesopotamia, in fact refers to beer as liquid bread (or sikaru).The Sumerians then began to produce and distribute this drink in their region and beyond.
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